1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having an intermediate transfer member.
2. Related Art
As an image forming apparatus such as a printer or a copier, there are apparatuses employing the so-called intermediate transfer system where, after a toner image developed by a toner serving as a developer is formed on an image forming member such as a photosensitive member, the toner image is once transferred to an intermediate transfer member which is rotated while contacting with the image forming member, and then the toner that has been transferred to and held by the intermediate transfer member is secondary-transferred to a sheet at a secondary transfer position.
In an image forming apparatus employing the intermediate transfer system, usually, a toner and the like remain on the surface of an intermediate transfer member after a process such as the secondary transfer. In order to remove the residual toner and the like, therefore, the apparatus is equipped with a cleaning device which causes an elastic blade such as a rubber plate to be in contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer member, thereby cleaning the surface.
When a toner to be used in the image formation is reduced in diameter and spheronized, however, a cleaning device hardly maintains the performance of cleaning an intermediate transfer member with respect to a toner of this kind.